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for July 1931
59
Best Pictures
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SCREENLAND'S
Critic Selects the Most Important Screenplays of the Month
Svengali
W arner Brothers
JOHN BARRYMORE in his greatest role. The du Maurier classic, "Trilby," provides John with the juicy character of Svengali and he plays it to the hilt. His new leading lady, Marian Marsh, is an enchanting Trilby — emotionally immature as yet, she's just a child — but with genuine appeal and promise. Here's a grand old story of the picturesque Latin Quarter Paris when artists wore smocks and their garret studios bloomed with beauties like Trilby, beloved of Little Billee. The sinister Svengali stalks in, enslaves Trilby, and hypnotizes her into the singing sensation of the Continent. It's the master's dread in fluence against Little Billee's devotion — and it's all a perfectly dandy escape from current film fare. The powerful ending rounds out a rather magical movie that may very well become a screen classic. And you will welcome Marian Marsh.
Skippy
Paramount
IF YOU haven't seen "Skippy" please hurry right out and do it now. This picture is the most ingratiating entertainment on current screens. You may "hate kid pictures." You may run from child actors. Ordinarily I wouldn't blame you. But if you miss "Skippy" you're just an old dog-catcher. And speaking of dogs — when you see Skippy and Sooky mourning the loss of their pet you'll break right down and have that good cry you've been denied since the gangster epidemic. Percy Crosby's cartoon kid comes to life in the person of Jackie Cooper, the best actor of any shape or size I've ever seen. He's amazing. Bobby Coogan is an endearing Sooky, the shanty-town kid who is Skippy' s best pal. But director Norman Taurog deserves the most applause. What a job! He must really like kids.
Dirigible
Columb ia P ictures
THE thriller of the month. I hand it to Columbia Pictures — while other producers are still messing around the underworld, they are looking up and filming the grand melodrama of a dirigible flight. It's a splendid picture because it has sensational thrills and entirely human people. For every thrill there's a heart-throb — there's a twenty-four-sheet phrase they can have for nothing! A spectacular South Pole conquest by dirigible and plane supplies sufficient excitement for thirty pictures. Ralph Graves as an air ace, Jack Holt as the dirigible pilot race for the Pole and the acting honors, with Graves winning, but Holt not far behind. Fay Wray is the girl — she usually is! "Dirigible" has thrills of the good, clean, old-fashioned kind in a smashing 1931 setting. All small boys will love it.
Ten Best Performances of the Month:
Jackie Cooper in "Skippy" Sidney Fox in "Bad Sister" Marian Marsh in "Svengali" John Barrymore in "Svengali" Ralph Graves in "Dirigible" Gary Cooper in "City Streets" Sylvia Sidney in "City Streets" Robert Armstrong in "Iron Man" George Arliss in "The Millionaire" James Cagney in "The Public Enemy"
John Barrymore has his greatest role in "Svengali," with Marian Marsh as Trilby.
Jackie Cooper and Bobby Coogan score in "Skippy," from Percy Crosby's popular cartoons.
'Dirigible" is i Wray.
thriller, with Jack Holt and Fay Ralph Graves also scores.